SAccording to COAG, importers have failed to pay around 71.7 million euros in taxes over the last five years. This situation arises from repeated exceedances of the limit of 285,000 tonnes of tomatoes exempt from customs duties at a floor price of 0.46 euros per kilo, as specified in the canceled agreements, reports The Spanish. In particular since 2019, imports have exceeded the limit without taxation by 230,000 tonnes per year.
COAG also criticizes the inaction of the European Commission and the Spanish and French governments in the face of repeated requests for information on customs duties collected. Despite requests addressed to the competent authorities, the organization faces a wall of silence.
The organization is calling for the immediate application of the CJEU’s decision, without a grace period, arguing that European producers suffer the effects of this unfair competition on a daily basis. COAG also calls on the Spanish government to support European agricultural producers, severely impacted by these agreements, and to press for their cancellation within the EU.
Andrés Góngora, in charge of the fruit and vegetables sector at COAG, stressed that tomatoes from the Sahara should be taxed without benefiting from the preferential conditions granted to Morocco. This could increase the estimated fraud amounts.
